Kelp Cutter
Kelpie
New Kelpie
"No time for idlin'. Adventure awaits!"
Posts: 35
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Post by Kelp Cutter on Mar 11, 2014 22:40:00 GMT -5
The others were all looking at Kelp like he had just eaten a guppy. "What?" he asked, exchanging looks with the others. "You just said you wanted 'em gone," Kelp spoke, turning back to Shoal. "And that your boss wants us t' act hostile-y if they insist on stayin'. Just wanted to make it clear that runnin' innocents out on th' end-a my sword ain't somethin' I want on my reputation."
The hippocampus let out a sigh as Shoal fiddled with and showed-off the doohickey in front of them. At this point he was hoping they'd encounter fiendish rogues. Doing diplomatic work wasn't very exciting, or noteworthy. Hardly worth the effort of coming all the way here.
"Maybe Julius should," Kelp said dully, responding to what Lucky said about 'doing the talking'. "He's th' most official looking. This group's already as rag-tag as it could get. Gonna be hard to pass off as governmental emissaries as is."
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Post by Stygg Whitefeather on Mar 14, 2014 0:55:10 GMT -5
Shoal anxiously clicked his talons on the table, “Kelp, yes, they must be gone, but only dole out hostilities should they act on it first. Again, you're to make contact and identify who they are and why they are there. If they present no hostilities, then inform them – as part of a Griffon envoy, with both me on that,” Flutters his talon towards the piece of technology. “Thing. And the parchment, you'll appear to be official. Yes, it's a bluff, but if it works and they leave peacefully, not only would it boost my standing with the Council, it will also give some weight to some new... plans or something our Admiral backer has in the pipeline.”
The griffon explained further, then addressed both Kelp and Lucky. “And yes, you two That's a good idea. Julius should be the one to give it to them. As for the 'rag-tag'ness of this, I'll admit it's not ideal, but in light of recent events, it's not entirely inconceivable. I'm sure you have all heard what happened in Canterlot, yes?” Paused for a moment, waiting for a response, “What you may not have been aware of was a sizable portion of our foreign representatives, including Stygg Whitefeather, were trapped inside the city when the siege began. If these backwater settlers get nosy, you may use that as an excuse to why this is not a solely griffon group – also, let us not forget, as you should already be well aware of, Kelp Cutter, that this already is a multinational matter with their proximity to some of your people's territories.“
With a smug smirk forming at the edge of his beak, Shoal crossed his talons and reclined back on the cushion he sat upon, “And let me remind you, if this all goes to Tartarus, you all still get paid the same. Though, it behooves you to make an effort, of course. The better this goes, the better for me, and then the better for all of you. The Council's coffers are deep and with a favorable mark for me, my pockets too, grow all that deeper.”
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Post by Lucky Charm on Mar 14, 2014 5:38:22 GMT -5
Lucky nodded, partly to himself. He'd given up trying to place the keep in the photo; too much snow obscuring the picture. "Okay," he said slowly, "seems we have a plan. To summarize, we head out to the keep in the morning of whatever day we arrive. Between the scroll and Shoal's voice on the D-bars, it should sound official. I'll carry that, I'm used to heavy loads. If asked about our... unusual group composition, we'll say the Pony and Griffon nations are working more closely in recent times and Kelp's here as a representative of the Hippocampi since this borders their lands as well.
"We'll make every effort to be diplomatic," he continued, "but still impress on them the seriousness of this. Emphasize the attention of a very powerful kingdom. Queendom, junta, whatever. Then we can work toward a solution." He paused, looking over at Shoal. "Do you think, if they cooperate fully, there's a way they can keep the land? Deal with the Council, jump through the legal hoops? You said they weren't too concerned about this in the first place."
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Post by Julius Softpaw on Mar 14, 2014 16:15:46 GMT -5
After hearing what Shoal had to say, Julius nodded to himself. Even if his own question wasn't answered, his others had been. He then turned back to Kelp. "I'd rather avoid doing the negotiations. My voice isn't exactly what it used to be, you see. I can, and probably will, carry the scroll, however."
Julius, having nothing else to say, followed Shoal's example and reclined back where he sat, pulling out his belt knife to continue sharpening it. "Oh, I almost forgot. Herr Whitecap, do you know if there is a place on board to fix a bent blade? A small anvil, perhaps?"
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Dusk Wing
Disciple Pony
You can always trust me to be untrustworthy.
Posts: 64
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Post by Dusk Wing on Mar 17, 2014 15:03:21 GMT -5
Dusk Wing listened to the conversation rather closely. He took a mental note to keep an eye on Kelp Cutter, to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid or rash. The fact that the kelpie suggested killing the residence if they refuse to leave didn't help the pegaus' opinion of him.
"So we have roles for Julius and Lucky. And considering my area of expertise, I will probably be the one to get us in and, if things go south, out." Dusk commented to the others. "I will also be willing to aid in the negotiations if you feel that it might be necessary."
He looked at those present before continuing. "Now if this group is friendly, or at least not antagonistic, then we should be able to get in and out without any trouble. However, if they're hostile, even with the backing of an Ambassador, then we'll need to get to their leader without getting captured or killed." His gaze settled on Kelp Cutter briefly upon the last word. "Looking at this picture I can't figure out a way to get inside. So does anyone have any suggestions?"
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Kelp Cutter
Kelpie
New Kelpie
"No time for idlin'. Adventure awaits!"
Posts: 35
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Post by Kelp Cutter on Mar 17, 2014 23:39:32 GMT -5
Kelp gave Shoal a puzzled look after he had finished speaking. Boosting his standing? Growing his pockets? The way Shoal was talking, this was beginning to sound a lot more like a public official trying to covertly squeeze some personal benefit out of his position rather than legitimate diplomatic concern.
"So... it's a double bluff," the hippocampus finally spoke after Lucky had finished. "We got Julius pretendin' to represent th' Griffon Kingdom, or at least their scroll-bearer, and me pretendin' to represent th' kelpies." He didn't say anything else along the thread, nor did he feel like what he just spoke needed to be confirmed. The act just seemed like it was getting more hollow by the second.
Kelp did see Dusk Wing gazing at him right as he spoke about getting captured or killed. He knew what that meant. Or at least... he knew that meant Dusk meant something by it. "You got something else you wanted to say?" he asked the purple pegasus.
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Post by Stygg Whitefeather on Mar 24, 2014 4:17:13 GMT -5
Shoal lifted his drink to his beak and took a long, slow sip from it. As he drank, he appeared to be momentary lost in thought and when he was finished and set his drink back down, he spoke once more. "None of you need to worry too much about the 'legaleze', I'll handle the formalities. You just have appear that we mean business, the sword and shield to my voice. As for your question, Lucky, it's doubtful. They can appeal, and let them know that, but their chances are slim at best. Unless, of course, they can be of use to the Crown."
He turned to Dusk, "Might I suggest the front door? I'm sure it'll be obvious when you get there. And again, if you make it inside and it goes south, you are to retreat - aggressively. If you can't even make it that far, then just retreat. It makes no sense to sacrifice yourselves 'storming the castle'. Leave that for the Fleet. Yes, we may be bluffing how official this is, but our Admiral's ultimatum is anything but. In the end, I prefer this does not turn into any sort of bloodbath, from you or the Fleet. Dead bodies are far more trouble than they are worth."
With a sideways glance to Julius, the griffon shrugged. He was asking the wrong person in the room. The captain chimed in, mentioning an anvil and some tools one deck below, in the bilge where the spare timber was stored, but nothing so fine as to properly fix a weapon.
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Post by Lucky Charm on Mar 24, 2014 6:48:06 GMT -5
Lucky thought for a few moments in silence. He'd given up on the photograph now, it was just too blurred with snow to show anything more than the general outline of a keep. Maybe he'd know more once he arrived at the actual building. Right now he was more focused on what would happen after they arrived. If the settlers could be useful to the Crown, then they might be allowed to stay without hassle. "Maybe if they act as a watchpost," he murmured under his breath, probably inaudible to anyone else at the table. "Don't think there're any other garrisons around here..."
Eventually he looked up when the others had asked their questions and been answered. "That's all as far as I can see," he said. "Unless the rest of you have more to say, it seems to me we have our path. Soon as we get to shore we can start walking and see where it leads."
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Post by Julius Softpaw on Mar 24, 2014 16:16:48 GMT -5
Julius, who had sat down right next to Lucky, turned his head to regard him. "That may be, mein Freund. But, as Herr Whitecap has said, it is highly unlikely. Perhaps if they prove themselves to the Crown."
He then turned toward the Captain, bowing his head in acknowledgment. "Thank you, Kapitän. As long as there is enough for me to straighten my blade, I'll be happy."
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Dusk Wing
Disciple Pony
You can always trust me to be untrustworthy.
Posts: 64
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Post by Dusk Wing on Mar 26, 2014 13:33:30 GMT -5
Dusk Wing chose to ignore the question Kelp threw at him. Instead he focused on what Shoal was saying. The griffon's suggestion killed off a most of Dusk's excitement. His disappointment clearly written on his face.
"Aw. You had to go and ruin my fun." Dusk said. a hint of mocking in his voice. He concedes and lets out a sigh. "Well, you're the boss. So I guess we'll do things your way. When will be arriving, if you don't mind my asking?"
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Kelp Cutter
Kelpie
New Kelpie
"No time for idlin'. Adventure awaits!"
Posts: 35
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Post by Kelp Cutter on Mar 27, 2014 20:16:50 GMT -5
Kelp warily turned his focus from Dusk back to Shoal, seeing how the pegasus had chosen to ignore the question. "Think we got th' gist," he said regarding what they were supposed to do.
The hippocampus chewed his tongue in silence. Yeah, he was starting to become less and less of a fan of how this shindig was turning out. It was starting to stink more and more of white lies and a political career to further. And delivering an eviction notice was hardly the adventure Kelp had been expecting.
But he'd have to wait and see. Maybe something exciting would come out of this. Maybe. He wasn't keeping his hopes up.
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Post by Stygg Whitefeather on Mar 31, 2014 2:06:18 GMT -5
“Excellent, excellent.” Exclaimed Shoal with a quick raping of his talons together. “I'm sorry this may not be what you had originally imagined, but the bits will be there in the end. And that, I imagine, is all that really matters to you all, correct?” He was condescending, yet truthful. You were, after all, here for bits or adventure, perhaps both. “We depart in the morning on a skiff. You should all get some rest; doubt you'd want to be lagging behind due to tiredness.” He expressed, glancing to all those assembled before him. “In 24 hours, you'll all have made a major difference in Griffon politics, don't forget it. I know I won't when I dole out the bits.” Shoal said with a smirk. “Oh, and Julius, I think I may have something to fix that blade of yours. Please, meet me in the captain's chambers when we're done.” Shoal smiled, while the captains appeared to roll his pony eyes, as if bubbling with frustration over the the fact he would not be sleeping as early as he hoped.
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Post by Lucky Charm on Mar 31, 2014 7:54:00 GMT -5
"See you in the morning, then," Lucky said brightly. He seemed a bit distracted, though - probably still thinking about the mission tomorrow. As he and the others departed back to their bunks, he spoke up again, seemingly to anyone interested in responding. "Well, that was interesting," he said thoughtfully. "I've seen diplomatic negotiations go down before, but never like this. Who do you think we'll be dealing with?"
It was a loaded question. What kind of being would it be? Who built that keep, or whatever it was? Would they be hostile? All of these and more floated about the Pegasus' head, and he was hoping the others might have ideas.
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Post by Julius Softpaw on Apr 3, 2014 15:22:35 GMT -5
Just about to leave, himself, Julius paused when Shoal spoke to him. Perhaps this was the job he spoke of earlier? "Thank you, Herr Whitecap, I will." With all said and done, Julius decided to stick around a moment longer and help himself to the remaining smoked meat. He'd follow Shoal when he left.
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Dusk Wing
Disciple Pony
You can always trust me to be untrustworthy.
Posts: 64
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Post by Dusk Wing on Apr 7, 2014 14:24:45 GMT -5
Dusk Wing was not happy with the way things were turning out. He had come hoping he'd be able to practice his skills as a thief, not furthering someone's political career. However, he didn't let his displeasure show, and maintained his usual smile.After all, something exciting might come out of all of this.
Not in the mood to continue the conversation with Shoal, Dusk got up and headed back to the bunks. There he took off his fedora and coat and stored them in his saddle bags. As he got into the bed, he heard Lucky's question.
"I don't know. I just hope that things won't be as boring as Shoal was making it sound." He turned where he lay to look at the other pegasus. "I'm not sure about you, but the reason I signed up was because I thought it would be exciting. What about you Kelp? What do you think?" He asked, now looking at the kelpie.
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